


Give Me My Phone (Come Get It Yourself)

by undeadpsycho13



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Tags Are Hard, don't judge a fanfic by its crappy tags, trust me the story is better than the tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-08-30 17:12:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8541754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undeadpsycho13/pseuds/undeadpsycho13
Summary: “Okay, fine.  But you gotta tell me your name first.”“What’s yours?”“Nope, doesn't work that way, I asked first.”“Jesus, you’re so childish why am I even talking to you?  Fine, I’m Nico, Nico di Angelo.”“There we go, wasn’t too hard.  Mine’s Percy Jackson.”A pauses, an undignified sound that strangely resembled a squeak, and then an,“Oh.”Nico hung up after that.





	1. To Lose a Phone and Find a Friend (Or maybe not so much of a friend)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SinMint](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinMint/gifts).



> so ya, another percico fanfic.
> 
> it started off as a "i'm pretending to be your bbf because you looked VERY uncomfortable with that person at the bar hitting on you au" but then it kind of branched off and now i have no idea where this is heading.
> 
> i'm crediting the au idea to this pinterest post, which is a screenshot of a tumblr post, so i don't really know how to credit it *cringe*
> 
> anyways, here's the url to it so i don't get kicked off this site for plagerism: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/436356651369499699/
> 
> enjoy!! XD

Percy was trying to help the guy next to him, but the dark-haired boy wasn’t making it easy.

For the past hour or so, Percy had been at the bar with his friends, and it did not fail to escape his notice that a boy –– a very good-looking one at that, wearing a black hoodie with its hood down and skinny jeans –– was looking quite uncomfortable, with another presumed stranger hitting on him.  And so, Percy, being the nice person he was, stepped in and decided to get the other out of this awkward situation by pretending to know the other.

The noirette, however, clearly wasn’t taking the hint and looked, puzzled, at the two complete strangers talking in front of him, about him.

“I’m sorry, but you must have––”

“No, no, come on, we need to go  _ now _ .”  Percy said with urgency dripping from his voice, making dramatic hand gestures and giving him a  _ come on, you're not making this easy  _ look.

“I don’t think I know y––”

“Come on dude let’s  _ go _ !”  Percy was mentally face-palming himself, wondering why he ever thought to help this unobservant guy who  _ wasn't taking the hint that even someone like Percy would have caught _ .

“What are you––”

Before he could finish that sentence, Percy had already pulled him half-way out the door, ignoring the curious looks that were directed towards him by his actual friends.

Dragging the other into his car, he slammed the door shut before dropping his head onto the steering wheel, groaning.  The other, just stared at him for a while, definitely not the normal reaction of someone who has just been, for all he knows, taken hostage, before asking very calmly,

“What the hell?”

Percy turned his head, too lazy to fully lift it up, and, without answering, asked,

“Are you always this oblivious?”

“Oblivious?”

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about! I was trying to save you from that weird blond guy hitting on you, and you  _ weren’t reacting _ !  I mean like, couldn’t you tell what I was trying to do?”

The other, evidently embarrassed for not figuring out earlier, but unable to come up with something witty to say, spluttered indignantly.  And then finally,

“Did that have to involve kidnapping?”

“Well, you weren’t exactly responding!”

“Still, human rights dude!”

“Would you rather have me leave you there in misery for the rest of the night?”

Again rendered speechless, the Oblivious Boy turned a bright shade of red before muttering, 

“Gotta go, I left my stuff in there… ”

And then he pelted out of the car and sprinted back in.  Percy stared, then shrugged, then trudged back to the bar, where he was bombarded by questions by his friends.  He deflected some and ignored the others, and in the end his friends got nothing out of Percy.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully, and Percy managed to forget the Oblivious Boy from before.  That is, until he got into his car, which he could still drive given the fact that he had remained sober (the struggle was real), and before he could start the engine, heard a soft buzzing sound coming from under the passenger seat.  Bending down, he reached under the seat and was rewarded with a phone.  At first glance, Percy thought it was his, with the same model and case, but a glance at the name on the screen ––  _ Bianca di Angelo _ , along with a photo of a beautiful teenage girl, told him otherwise.  And then Percy realised he recognized the girl, from a few of his classes.  Shrugging, he answered the phone, and was greeted by a very friendly stream of curses and obscenities, uttered by the one and only Oblivious Boy.

“Woah, woah, chill man.”

“Well, easy for you to say, you’re not the one who lost his phone because a random guy you met at a bar kidnapped you!”

“Don’t say that, it sounds like I committed a felony or something.”

“Well, you did.”

“No I didn’t.  But anyway, you're calling from Bianca’s phone right?  I think I know her… ”

“Oh.” Was the only reply Percy got.

“Is she your friend or something?  I could give it to h––”

“NO! Don’t give my phone to my sister! Never give my phone to my sister!  Whatever you do,  _ don’t give my phone to my sister _ !”

Taken aback by this sudden outburst, Percy paused before stating,

“Sheesh, don’t overreact.  So how should I give it to you?”

“Tell you what, I go to the same school as you I think, so find me… in the cafeteria at recess.”

“Okay, fine.  But you gotta tell me your name first.”

“What’s yours?”

“Nope, doesn't work that way, I asked first.”

“Jesus, you’re so childish why am I even talking to you?  Fine, I’m Nico, Nico di Angelo.”

“There we go, wasn’t too hard.  Mine’s Percy Jackson.”

A pauses, an undignified sound that strangely resembled a squeak, and then an,

“Oh.”

Nico hung up after that.


	2. Bored Without My Phone (Bored Without You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why would you wake a poor soul up this early?” Percy whined. Nico stared at him as though he had grown a third head, and replied, scandalized,
> 
> “Who’s still asleep at this time? It’s, like, nine in the morning!”
> 
> It was Percy’s turn to look horrified.
> 
> “Haven’t you ever heard of sleeping in? Anyways, why are you here?”
> 
> “I’m bored without my phone. Gimme it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo the next chapter is here
> 
> the txting is how i txt my friends, so if it's incorrect or whatevr i apologise. tho, now that i think about it, is there really a wrong way of txting?? meh *shrugs*
> 
> anyways, hope u like it XD

The next day was Sunday, so no school.

It also meant that Percy could not be dragged out of bed until noon.  Which is why he was thoroughly pissed at whoever came knocking at his door at nine in the morning.  Wincing at the sharp light and grumbling the whole way to the door, Percy yanked it open before realising that the boy standing outside his door was none other that Nico di Angelo.

“Why would you wake a poor soul up this early?” Percy whined.  Nico stared at him as though he had grown a third head, and replied, scandalized,

“Who’s still asleep at this time?  It’s, like, nine in the morning!”

It was Percy’s turn to look horrified.

“Haven’t you ever heard of  _ sleeping in _ ?  Anyways, why are you here?”

“I’m bored without my phone.  Gimme it.”

“No.”

“Now.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“C’mon.”

“No.”

“Screw you.”

“Fine.  Wait, what?”

There was an awkward silence, both of them grasping the… other meaning of the sentence, before Nico, face red with embarrassment, barged through the door, snatched the first phone he could find, and stormed off.

Percy stared a little, and then walked back, picking up his phone on the way.  And only  _ then _ did he realise that Nico had  _ taken the wrong phone _ .  Groaning, he collapsed back on his bed.  Waking up didn’t mean getting up.  He would go back to sleep, then return the phone in the morning.  And that was  _ final _ .

Of course, not five minutes after he had fallen asleep again the phone by his bed stand  _ had to _ start buzzing.  Cursing his luck, Percy stuck his hand out from underneath the blanket and blindly grasped at the table until he felt the cold hard metal under his hand.  Turning it on, Percy realised that Nico had, this time, contacted him using a text, which read:

_ give me da phone or esle. _

_ *else _

The typo really did not help with the intimidating factor, and besides, not even a fire would ever get Percy out of bed again, so instead he replied:

_dude later its 2 early also have no address 2 give 2_ _sry :’(_

Grammatical mistakes normally irked him, but right now, he seriously didn't care.

_ dat make no sense _

Came the immediate reply, followed by an address.

_ stfu _

Was Percy’s last test, before he shut off the phone, turned around, and fell asleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry its so short so so so sorry
> 
> but u know what? i'll repent by making the next on long(ish), tho judging by my laziness it'll probably be only 1000 words *sigh*
> 
> i'm sorry 4 being so lazy
> 
> I'M SORRY WORLD *sobs loudly*


	3. Get Out of Here (Percy Freaking Jackson Came to My House)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the third chapter is here!!
> 
> i promised to post didn't i? well here u are, voila!!
> 
> enjoy ;)
> 
> (also, read the notes at the end, there is something important there...)

At about twelve, when Percy turned on the phone that was not his, a dozen texts lit the screen, the first few unanswered questions, and then most of them profanities and statements damning Percy to hell.

Sighing, he got up.  He felt as though he should probably return the phone immediately, but that would be too nice and Percy wasn’t in the mood for being nice.  So he made himself some breakfast (blue, duh) and plopped down on a chair, and started eating.  Only after all that did he think to finally call his own phone, with the other picking up on the second ring.

“Hey.”

“Give me back my phone.”

“Well someone’s cheerful today.”

“Shut up Jackson.  Give me my phone  _ now _ .”

“So we’re on last name basis now?  Well,  _ Mr. di Angelo _ , I’m actually at home  _ now _ so I can’t.”

“Well then come over to my house goddamn you.  It’s not like I didn’t give you the address.“

“Fine, stop bothering me, I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Half an hour.”

“Forty-five minutes.”

“Fine.”

Finally satisfied, Nico hung up.

In an hour, Percy stood in front of a huge, scary-looking house.  He was greeted by a petite girl with golden eyes whom he recognised as his friend Frank’s girlfriend Hazel.  Awkwardly, Percy asked if Nico was home, to which Hazel’s answer was interrupted by a loud  _ finally _ , uttered by a grouchy looking Nico.

“You’re late.”

Without waiting for an answer, Nico shoved a phone into his hands, snatched the other one away, and then proceeded to shove Percy out of the door.  This action, however, was stopped by another girl who walked into the room, tutting and muttering something about not treating guests properly.  A girl Percy just happened to recognise.  Offering a small smile, Bianca di Angelo ushered all three of them into the living room.  She made a bit of small talk with Percy regarding their homework and whatnot, before excusing herself to make dinner.

This left the three of them awkwardly sitting next to each other.  Attempting to start a conversation, Hazel opened her mouth to speak, then closed it once more, as if not sure what to say.  Luckily, they were saved from further awkwardness by a beep from a notification, lighting up the screen of Percy’s phone.  It read:

_ Swim meet in 15 min. _

It was only then that Percy realised he had completely forgotten about the swim meet.  Groaning, he got up, and at the questioning stare directed at him from Hazel, he said,

“Sorry, I have a sw––”

“Yeah, yeah, we all know you’re the captain of the swim team and needs to go for a swim practice or whatever, just go.  No need to show off, sheesh.”

Percy turned to stare at Nico.

“How the  _ hell _ do you know my schedule better than I do.”

Nico, looking like he wanted nothing more than the ground to swallow him up, started stammering and sputtering incoherently, but was, to his relief, saved by Hazel, who claimed that they had “heard about it from Frank”.  Not that Percy recalled Frank memorising his schedule for him either, but he supposed it made at least some sense.

He dropped by the kitchen to notify Bianca he was leaving, to which he was met by a polite  _ don’t hesitate to drop by next time _ , before hurrying out of the door and sprinting towards the community center pool.  He was so late, and  _ so _ screwed.

He was only two minutes late, so the coach only made him swim an extra five laps, of which he was thankful for.  It went pretty well, with him still coming in first, as always.  Not to be cocky.  But still.  Jason Grace, the blond boy who was _much_ better at sports on land than water, surprisingly came second, and so Percy walked towards him to congratulate him.  Because that’s what team captains did, right?

He hadn’t meant to see who Jason was texting; the boy’s back was turned towards him, but he couldn’t help but catch a snippet of their conversation, to which Percy’s attention was hooked onto by a certain one:

_ o my gawd o my gawd percy jackson came to my house 2day u no??!!! like freaking Percy JACKSON!!! _

Which meant Jason could only be texting Nico; unless he had gotten short-term memory loss or had sleep-walked sometime Percy didn’t recall going to anyone else’s house.  Of course, it could have been either of his sisters, but Percy knew that Jason hung out with Nico at school and, as far as he knew, didn’t have much contact with either one of the di Angelo sisters.

This was awkward.

Really, really awkward.

And so Percy did the cowardly –– and, he told himself, most logical –– thing: he turned around and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about the awkward wording in some of the parts. wasn't in my right mind writing this.
> 
> also, HELP HELP PLZ HELP i take back everything i said about no plot ideas I NEED IDEAS!!!
> 
> i've never really written the whole 'people getting together' thing so i have no idea how it happens (except for like the five hundred thousand fanfics i read with these plotlines, but still. i need something original, ok?)
> 
> i am literally on my knees begging for ideas right now. 
> 
> also, as a piece of blackmail, no ideas equals no posting equals no new chapters... just so u know *cackles*


	4. Does He Stalk Me? (I Hope He Does)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico just stared at him in response and rolled his eyes, making a little pouting face that was so adorable––
> 
> Wait, what?
> 
> Shaking himself out a little, Percy continued his way up trying to hide his blushing face. Nope, nope, nope. He did not just think that. He did not just call that kid adorable. No way. Not a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo...
> 
> because i was being lazy for the last god-knows-how many days, i didn't want to write too much. BUT THEN i remembered that i was treating this fic horribly and needed to make up to the few people that actually read it. SO it made this chapter EXTRA long. sorry, that wasn't supposed to come out so wrong. and sorry i have such a perverted mind.
> 
> anyways, u probably don't really want to listen to me rant.
> 
> enjoy XD

_ Does Nico stalk me? _ was the thought that haunted the rest of Percy’s weekend,  _ Why though? _

He barely knew the kid, only slightly recalling who he was after the encounters with his sisters and Jason.  And he only knew that Jason was friends with the guy because some rumour that they were together.  But why would you talk about another guy like a fangirl while texting your boyfriend?  That just didn’t make sense.

So, naturally, Percy took all his problems to his best friend of god-knows-how-many years.

“Hey Annabeth, can I ask you something?”

“You already did, stupid.”  Came her usual response, before,  “Sure, but it’s gotta be quick, ’cause I need to go in like, five minutes.”

“Jesus Christ, stop sassing me.”

“Just get on with your  _ goddamned question _ !”

“Okay, okay.”  And Percy told her.  The whole story, with all the details and his own interpretations and questions along the way, to which Annabeth told him to shut up with the questions and get on with the story.  It took way longer than five minutes, but Annabeth was too enraptured in her friend’s love life to care.  Dating Piper the love expert could do this kind of thing to you.

In the end, the was a couple moments of silence.  And then ––

“That wasn’t a question.”

“That whole story, and that’s the only thing you manage to catch?!”  Asked Percy, incredulous.

“No, but it’s the most important one.” She retorts cheekily before reverting to her normal serious-ish state, “So what’s your question, because I need to know if you want a response.”

“Well…”  Percy hesitated, “You know, maybe your opinion in general?”

“My opinion?  Okay,  _ I _ think that di Angelo  _ loooves _ you.”  Giggling came from across the phone, and only then did Percy realise –– 

“Annabeth, are you  _ drunk _ ?”  The Annabeth he knew never ever –– not in a million years –– got drunk.

“Yep.  But me drunk is probably still smarter than you sober.”

“Hey!”

Now he could hear laughter in the background.  Great, the girl had put her phone on speaker, and now everyone knew.  His only condolence was that at least they were all drunk.  Hopefully,  _ hopefully _ , they would forget that any of this had ever happened.

Still, mortified and embarrassed, even if the receiving end  _ were _ drunk, Percy hung up.  He prefered not to think of it as a rude action, rather… an action that saved them both from further embarrassment.

To distract his mind from the recent conversation, Percy logged onto his laptop and watched Netflix; unfortunately, in his haste he had just clicked the first thing that popped up, and of course it just happened to be a Korean soap opera dubbed English, which made the characters look all funny while they talked.  Too lazy to switch to another, Percy decided to give this show a chance, because, you know, why not?  Of course, of what he could understand he came to the conclusion that, well, it kind of sucked.  Sometime in the middle of this horribly boring TV show, he fell asleep, and was awoken by the ringing of the doorbell.  Groggily, he got up, and with a sigh opened the door, where he was met by a determined-looking Jason and an embarrassed-looking Nico, which was strange, because even though he considered Jason one of his closer friends and Nico, well, Nico not a  _ complete _ stranger, they had no business to be standing on his porch at ten at night.  For a while Percy waited for either to speak, which neither did, and so he decided to take it upon himself to start the conversation,

“So… What are you doing here?”

Not the best conversation starter, but it got to the point.  If possible, Nico looked even more embarrassed and Jason even more determined, though when he opened his mouth no sound came out.  And then,

“Well, you see, Nico has some… family issues and needs to stay at a friend’s, but his stupid pride won’t let him, so… so I’m asking him for you.  Our other friends are either too drunk to care or with their partners on a date or aren’t allowed to have others over, so you’re the last candidate, and I was pretty sure your mom won’t care, but umm… you know… what the hell am I saying anymore?  Ok, you know what, long story short, can Nico stay at your house tonight?”

In the background, there are protests, uttered by a very uncomfortable looking Nico, of  _ This was not a good idea _ , and  _ Oh my God this is so embarrassing _ , but Percy had the decency of pretending not to hear.  After Jason’s little monologue, Percy cleared his throat awkwardly and said, though it sounded more like a question to himself,

“Sure?”

“Yeah, okay then, bye.”

With an awkward wave, Jason shoved Nico through the door and spun away in the same movement, which Percy, who was so uncoordinated outside of water it wasn’t even funny, found quite impressive.  Unfortunately, it also left him with the kid who looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up, or else sink into the shadows.  Awkward silence ensued, with Percy eventually breaking the ice by saying in an too-loud-and-too-cheerful-to-be-considered-even-remotely-normal voice, 

“Here, I’ll show you the way to my room.”

He quickly turned away, only to stumble upon a stray backpack –– what was that even doing in the middle of the hallway? –– and almost almost fell on his face, but managed to regain balance at the last moment.  Hearing snickering behind him, Percy looked over his shoulder to see Nico –– Nico, the emo kid who never laughed –– with his hand over his mouth and his face twisted with mirth.  Scowling, Percy righted himself and, trying to save at least a scrap of his dignity, and, with a quick shout of  _ Mom, we have a guest _ , continued up the stairs as if nothing happened.

He made it about halfway up without hearing any footsteps behind him.  Frowning, Percy turned around –– wondering why on earth Nico wasn’t following him –– and then yelped in shock when he realised that said boy was standing not two centimeters away, right in his face.

“Holy crap dude, what––”

Nico just stared at him in response and rolled his eyes, making a little pouting face that was so adorable––

Wait,  _ what _ ?

Shaking himself out a little, Percy continued his way up trying to hide his blushing face.  Nope, nope, nope.  He  _ did not _ just think that.  He did not just call that kid adorable.  No way.  Not a chance.

Realising that Nico was now staring at him with an odd look, Percy hastened his way to his room, and, upon arriving at the bed, collapsed into the utter softness, closing his eyes in contentment.  Nico kind of just stood there awkwardly watching the whole spectacle.  That was until Sally Jackson appeared at the doorway, and starting reprimanding Percy about not treating guests properly.  Nico tried to intervene by saying,   _ It’s fine, really, Percy’s already nice enough for letting me stay _ , but Sally cut him off, exclaiming,

“No, no, it’s not a bother, but Percy  _ really _ needs to learn his manners.  There was this one time…”

And, of course, like all parents, Sally just had to start spouting all these embarrassing stories.  Percy put a stop to it with a  _ Mom, please _ to which his mother just laughed and left them be.  

It wasn’t that late, but there was school the next day and Percy wasn’t in the mood to pull an all-nighter, so he quickly bid Nico good night and started getting ready for bed.  It wasn’t until he was pretty much about to crawl into bed that Percy realised Nico had nowhere to sleep.  Which left them sharing a bed the only option.  Which wouldn’t have been a problem if Percy had been completely straight, except that he wasn’t.  But, of course, he couldn’t well let Nico sleep on the ground now, could he, so pushing back his embarrassment, Percy explained to Nico that they could each take half of the bed.  Nico, unfortunately, did not take this too well.  He went red, then white, then something in between, before stuttering out,

“Isn’t… wouldn’t… you won’t mind?”

Percy forced out a little laugh, trying not to sound  _ too _ strained, and shook his head, and, to avoid further discussion and discomfort, turned around and went to sleep.  Vaguely in the background, he could hear noises of Nico getting ready for bed, and then the faint click of the light switch, the ruffling of covers, and then… silence.

And silence meant time for Percy to think.  Which was not too good, considering the day's events; the conversations he had had with the di Angelos, the strange reactions Nico had to what he said, the weird texts he had managed to sneak a peek at.  But mostly, one thought kept on popping into his mind.  A single sentence refused to erase itself from existence.

_ I think di Angelo loves you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gah! i know i'm a procrastinator, ok? i'm sorry i put off the whole confession/feelings thing. I'M SORRY
> 
> if ur good at noticing little things, u'll have noticed i changed the total amount of chapters from 5 to 6. if ur not, well, that's what this comment here is for. because, u know, i do want to write a little percico fluff, and since i am the worst person ever and put that off, well, it's only fair i add another chapter as compensation, don't u agree?
> 
> anyways, ideas via comments and kudos are always welcome, ESPECIALLY IDEAS, and see u next week :)
> 
> btw, if anyone has any spare knowledge on the protestant reformation, i'm writing a socials essay on that and i need info!!!!!
> 
> anyone who gives me any information will have a special place in my heart (the sap is unnerving, i know)


	5. author note -- SORRY

hi wonderful people who actually take the time to read my crappy fanfics,

so, as you can see on the title, this is an authors note.  duh.  im just writing to say sorry, because i have come empty handed with nothing to post today *sobs*.  im really really really sorry. the winter break starts tomorrow and so we had all our tests this week and last week and i have had ABSOLUTELY NO TIME to do anything other than study.  so ya, im sorry, and even worse im going to china for the next two three weeks so i wont be able to post unless i have vpn which i dont.  *sobs even more*

anyways, i am so damn sorry, and i promise (on the river styx) i'll have a chapter written by january 19th (because its my birthday *SQUEAL*) and ya.  thats all

signing off,

undeadpsycho13


	6. Let it Snow (My Title-Making Skills Badly Need Improvement)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy there guys, i know i said i'd update tomorrow, but, you know, i wrote this really long chapter and i kinda split it unevenly. 
> 
> thank you to liz for ur gracious suggestions, i chose the "do something with these words: snow, vanilla, hateful, rosebuds, & warm. Extra points if you add tea. Use in any combination and let it inspire you?" one, because IM UP FOR THE CHALLENGE COME AT ME!!! (sorry i kinda used the words in a very weird way forgive me and they're not all in this chapter some are in the next and some are in the next after that)
> 
> also, today is the last day im gonna be thirteen, so i wanted to do something special, and apparently something special equals to posting a new chapter. im sorry this chapter is hella short but DONT WORRY I WILL UPDATE TOMORROW ALSO CAUSE ITS MY BIIIIRTHDAY!!!!!! (im being horribly self-centred here, dont mind me)
> 
> SO, i hope you guys like it, my schedules been all over the place because WTF 6 HRS OF BADMINTON A WEEK WTF and HOMEWORK hOMEWORK HOMEWORK. tbh, im kinda surprised i even managed to find the time to write this.
> 
> enjoy!! XD

Percy woke up to a strangled yelp, a shove in the ribs, and a dull thud.

Groaning, he opened his eyes, to find that he was facing Nico’s half of the bed –– or where Nico should have been sleeping.  In his place was a stretch of empty mattress.  Frowning, Percy crawled strenuously to the other side of the bed, and, peering over the side, was met by the sight of Nico on the ground rubbing his forehead and wincing in pain.  Percy stared at him for a minute, before asking him hesitantly:

“Umm, what?  Why?  How?”

Okay, so not the most philosophical question, but cut him some slack, it was nine in the morning, too early for his brain to be functioning properly.  Nico mumbled something he didn’t quite catch, before hauling himself back onto the bed, trying to act normal.  For a moment both of them fidgeted uncomfortably, before Percy loudly cleared his throat and moved towards the washroom to change and perhaps take a shower, leaving Nico sitting on a bed that was not his.  Shrugging, he hoisted himself up, and, letting go of the embarrassment now that the witness was gone, shuffled out of his pajamas and into his usual attire of skinny black jeans and a washed out MCR shirt.  Dressed, he walked to the window, only to met by the sight of –– 

Snow.

“What the…”

Mounds and mounds of snow that stacked at least a meter high now barricaded the door, trapping him with a boy he barely knew and said boy’s mother.  No, who was he kidding, he knew this boy so well,  _ so damn well _ .  Well, maybe not personally, but one tends to learn a few things about a person after stalking him for more than a third of his life.  Five years, to be exact.  Five goddamn years pining over an idiot like Percy Jackson.  He recalls the first time he saw the boy with eyes like the sea, back when he was ten, back when he was obsessed with childish things like card games and chariots and other nonsense.  How fickle he had been, he now thought, how thoughtless and shallow, how stupid to believe in things like requited love for him.  Especially requited by a boy like  _ Percy _ .  Who did he think he was.  Sighing, Nico played with the soft fabric of the curtains, sliding them open so that sunlight filtered into the room.

He let himself be pulled back into the torrent of memories that he had refused to dwell on for the past few years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun dun... THE SUSPENSE OMG
> 
> dont worry, next chapter will be out tomorrow :D
> 
> maybe no suggestions this time, cause i have the next chapt written, but comments and kudos would be great, and by tomorrow i'll be needing suggestions again :')
> 
> OH RIGHT I FORGOT WTF HOW COULD I, PEOPLE READ THIS FANFIC, ITS CALLED FALLING TEARS BY PIXYICE: http://archiveofourown.org/works/6406375
> 
> IT NEEDS 50 KUDOS PEOPLE!!! 50 KUDOS OR NO HAPPY ENDING GODDAMMIT


	7. You Gave Me A Rose (And Took My Heart)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH IM FOURTEEN IM _OLD_
> 
> THIS IS A WARNING: this chapter is hella cheesy. like HELLA CHEESY. and, as expected, a flashback. omg wat has become of my fic it was supposed to be 5 chapt originally but now its like nearing what? 9? 10? i dont even know :'D

Barely ten, Nico di Angelo sauntered alongside his sister, too busy counting his Mythomagic cards to care about where they were going.  It was only when Bianca gently tugged on his hand that Nico realised they had stopped.  Gazing up with wide, innocent eyes, Nico made unintentional eye contact with Hades di Angelo, who he supposed could be called his father, if the biological factor was the only one that counted.

Even as a child who hadn’t grown up around his father, Nico knew better than to make any contact, physical or otherwise, with this dark, brooding man with a haunting aura swirling about him.  Those eyes seemed soulless, like a gaping wound, as though a void that never closed.  He would later be disappointed to find that he had, unfortunately, inherited this unbecoming trait, spurred on perhaps by the death of his mother.

Quickly, Nico averted his gaze to the building towering in front of them.  He had always prided himself in his above-average reading skills, and said skills did not fail him:  _ Las Vegas Lotus Casino and Hotel _ , the flashing signs proudly broadcasted to the entire world, and it was this building that the three entered.  Inside the large, modern structure, Nico and Bianca were ushered away by two nervous looking attendants, told that they were to meet their father at six o’clock sharp for dinner.  Even Nico could not deny, once he had taken a proper look around, the place was gorgeous.  Crystal chandeliers hung from the domed ceiling of the lobby, and stained-glass panes lined the interior walls.  Their room was spacious, with two beds tucked away in the corners and the rest of the space occupied by a desk and a chair, as well as a mini-bar and some food on a table, along with a vase containing a bunch of roses.  A door led to the washroom; another to a balcony.  Everything was so… grand.  So unlike what Nico had experienced all his life, back in Italy.  In Venice everything seemed so down-to-earth, everyone seemed to know each other one way or another, and though Italy had its fair share of brilliant architecture, it was not this commercialized, but here… here, it was so different.  Of course, being young, Nico didn’t think twice before going back to his Mythomagic cards.  Dimly, he was aware of Bianca asking him if he wanted to go out with her to explore, saying they had three hours before dinner, but he adamantly shook his head and Bianca left without him, closing the door with a gentle click.

For the next hour and a half, Nico stared at his Mythomagic cards, sometimes shuffling, sometimes counting, but mostly just staring.  In the future, he would look back and wonder how he had managed to waste so many hours of his youth just… staring.  Granted, it had been staring at  _ something _ , but how on earth had he the attention span to stare at the exact same thing for hours on end?  One of the greatest mysteries of earth.

Actually, no, what happened next exceeded this by far, if one were to list the greatest mysteries.

Around quarter to five, Nico suddenly heard a soft click in the latch of the balcony door.  He froze, going through different scenarios in his head.  What if it was a burglar?  A kidnapper?  Should he scream for help or surrender?  Heart beating wildly, unable to move from his spot on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the door.  It seemed his skill for staring had once again resurfaced; if only enemies could be stared down, Nico would be a pro fighter.  With a creak, the door slowly slid open, revealing…

A boy.

A boy with black windswept hair, glimmering green eyes, thick, long lashes, dressed in a sky blue hoodie and jeans.  A boy that instantly took Nico’s breath away.  His mischievous eyes sparkled with something Nico could not define, perhaps it was… surprise?  But why would this boy be surprised to see someone in their own hotel room?  Nico wanted to ask, but, well, he could make his lips function properly.

Luckily for him, the other saved him from embarrassment with a hesitant,

“Hi?”

Followed by,

“What are you doing here?”

Nico finally managed to unstick his lips, and was proud to say he actually formed a coherent sentence,

“Well, I kind of… ummm… live here?  With my sister?”

“Oh.”

There was this awkward silence that ensued.  Nico finally said,

“This is generally the part where you apologise and leave.”

This was met by the most adorable set of puppy-eyes a pre-teen could possibly conjure, with a whining,

“Pleaaaase can I stay?  I promise I’ll be good.”

Nico almost laughed at that.  This boy was so not living up to his age.  Or did all people speak like they were half a decade younger than their actual age?

“Fine.”

With an excited squeal, the boy ran up and hugged Nico, full force, leaving Nico stunned.  He was  _ not _ a touchy-feely guy, and definitely not used to this treatment.

“So, I’m Percy Jackson, and I’m twelve, and I’m from New York, and I like blue food, and I like swimming, and… I think that’s it.”

Nico just stared.  Was it just him or was it not normal to spew all your personal information to a boy you just met?

“This is generally the part where you introduce yourself.”

There was no mocking in his voice, only genuine amusement.  This Percy Jackson sure was something.

“I’m Niccolo.”

That’s all he said.  Even though no one actually called him that, it was on his passport, so, technically, he wasn’t lying.

“Okay.”

Suddenly, he jumped up.

“Let’s play a game.  How about truth or dare?”

Nico blanched.  He had watched drunk teenagers play truth or dare before.  It… had not been pleasant.  It had definitely not appealed to Nico as a fun game.  But Percy was on full-on-puppy-eyes-mode again, and who was Nico to say no to him.  So he nodded hesitantly, gesturing for Percy to go first.

“Okay.  Truth or dare.”

“Truth.”

“Hmmm… Let me think… Oh, I know!”

A devilish grin lighted his face.  Leaning forward, he said in a mock whisper tone,

“Do you like anyone?”

Nico stiffened.  Even he, who had never played this game before, knew how overused this question was.  This was never a good one, normally involved people lying despite the “truth” factor of truth or dare, or chickening out.

“Errm… no.”

Half-truth.  He liked the boy in front of him.  But he didn’t know him too well, couldn’t judge him by anything but his looks and the two minutes they had spent with each other so far.  So half-truth.

“Okay, you go.”

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“Uhhh… ”

This was hard.

“I dare you to… to… to give that flower to someone you like!”

Okay, not the best dare, but he was desperate.  Percy looked at him, and then at the roses in the vase, and then at him again, then finally proclaimed with a smirk,

“Easy.”

Rising with ease, he strode to the table, on which the flowers were placed, and, plucking a single rosebud.  Later, Nico would find out, after working hours at his stepmother’s flower shop, that the moss rosebud presented in front of him was supposed to signify a declaration of love.  Now, however, it was simply considered a sweet gesture.  Whether Percy had known the significance of the meaning of this simple pink rose, not yet fully bloomed, Nico would probably never know. 

Nico blinked owlishly at the small flower, and then blushed furiously, accepting the rose.  Before he could draw his hand away, however, Percy bent down and gently kissed his hand in a gentlemanly action, though the smirk that punctuated it kind of ruined the affect.

At that, Nico did a wonderful impression of a tomato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHA ITS SORT OF LONG OK CUT ME SOME SLACK (its not actually all that long)
> 
> also OMG PIXYICE SAVE ME FROM THE CHEESE ITS ATTACKING ME NOOOOOO!!!!!!
> 
> and also yes, kudos to me for THE most stereotypical percy description *bows*
> 
> IM STILL HYPED ABOUT THE FACT THAT I CAN LEGALLY DRIVE IN TWO YEARS IT JUST HIT ME WTF (ignore my ranting, im a self-centred asshole)

**Author's Note:**

> soooo what'd you think about that?
> 
> it's not really my usual writing style, but i tried, okay?
> 
> i'm done the next two chapters, and working on the fourth (there will be five in total, i think), so maybe no suggestions about the plot, but comments (and kudos and bookmarks and whatever) are always appreciated XD


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